Selective type positioning means in printing cylinders



July 22, 1958 F. RElTZ 2,844,093

SELECTIVE TYPE POSITIONING MEANS IN PRINTING CYLINDERS Filed Aug. 20, 1956 Mm w SELECTIVE. TYPE POSITIONING MEANS PRINTING CYLINDERS Friedrich Reitz, Frankfurt am Main vGriesheim, Germany, assignor to Telefonbau und Normalzeit G. m. b. H., Frankfurt am Main, Germany Application August 20, 1956, Serial No. 604,988

6 Claims. (Cl. 10191) This invention refers to printing. cylinders, and more particularlyto printing cylinders comprising. one or more adjustable stamps, made up. of one or more rotatable type wheels. Such printingcylinders; areneeded for stamping different dates, or varying monetary amounts in such apparatus as', for instance postage meters.

It is one object of the invention to provide simple printing cylinders of the aforementioned character comprising printing meanslwh-ich. can selectively be made ef fective, or ineffective.

Another objectof the, invention is to provide printing cylinders of .the; aforementioned character adapted .to be constructed very compactly, and yet enabling to shiftthe type thereof selectively: between effective and. ineffective positions.

Still another object of the invention'is, to provide printatent O ing cylinders of'the aforementioned character comprising,

positive means to readily secure the: type means. thereof either inan effective positiomor in aninefiective position.

Othen objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent as. this specification proceeds, and the features of novelty; which characterize the invention will'ibe. pointed outwith particularity in the appended claims forming part of this specification.

Printing cylinders embodying this invention comprise a cylinder body having'a-recess therein; a rotatable type wheel-arranged in said-recess, av shaftnsupporting. said type wheel, a lever mounted to pivot relative'to said cylinder body arranged in said recess and supporting said shaft, and locking. means for. said lever to lock. said lever selectively in one of two limit positions thereof to posi-. tively position saidtype wheel selectivelyv intone of two limit positions thereof. U i

For a better understanding of theinvention reference may be had: tothe accompanying drawing in which:

Fig. l is an isometric, illustration of; a printing; cylinder embodying the inventiomsome portions of the'cylindri'cal surface of the cylinder being broken away to. better show the elements, or parts, normally covered; by the broken away portion of the surface; and

Fig. 2is/a-n isometric illustration of the structure re: cessed in the printing cylinder.

The positions of the constituent parts of the apparatus shown in Figs. 1 and 2 are different; in Fig. 1 the type wheel and the parts associated with the type wheel are shown in their effective positions, whereas in Fig. 2 the type wheel and the parts associated with the type wheel are shown in their ineffective positions.

Referring now to the drawing, numeral 11 has been applied to indicate the cylindrical surface of the printing cylinder. Surface 11 is arranged between two discshaped end plates 12 and 13. The cylindrical portion 11 of the printing cylinder 11, 12, 13 is provided with a recess 14 which is substantially rectangular in shape and receives the frame structure 15. The latter is provided with a pair of tab-like projections 16, 17 resting upon surface 11 and being screwed against surface 11 of cylinder 11, 12, 13. Frame 15 supports fulcrum means such as a pin 18 which, in turn; pivotally supports U-shaped lever 19 comprising a. webv portion and. two flange portions. Lever 19 is acted on by a spring 20 of which one end'is inserted. into a bore in one of the flange portions of lever 19, and the other end is inserted into a bore in frame 15*. Spring20 comprises several turns (not shown in thedrawing) which are mounted on pin 18. Spring 20 biases lever 19'upwardly in a. direction out of recess 14, or in a counter-clockwise:direction, 33153611 in Figs. 1 and 2. Shaft21 is arranged parallel to pin 18 transversely across, andsupported by, the two flange portions or arms of lever 19. Shaft 21 is intended to support a plurality of type wheels of which but one indicated by numeral 22 has been shown in, the drawing. As shown in Fig. 2. the web portion of Uj-shaped lever 19- supports a. pin" 23 on which latch 24 is pivotally mounted. A rear projection on latch 24 is acted upon by helical spring 25 tending toturn latch 24 in counter-clockwise direction, as

seen in Fig. 2. The extent'to which latch 24 can be pivoted in counter-clockwise direction by spring 25 is determined by, the aforementioned rear projection of latch 24 adapted to abut against the lower edge of the web portion of U-shaped lever 19. The upper end of latch 24 is provided. with a slot 27 'adapted iO-COOPCI'MC with the tablike extension 28-of frameJstructure 15. Fig. 1 shows tab-like extension 28 projectingintoancl: being engaged by slot 27. Fig. 2 shows the tab-like extension 28 abutting against the upper endoflatch-Zei; thus keeping latch 26 against the bias of. spring 20 inv the lower position thereof. Latch 26 is provided with a notch indicated in Fig; 2 by reference character 29. Notch 29 is intended to facilitate manual; operation'of'latch. 26, as by inser- 12,13 about. thegeometrical axis thereof. In Fig. l the typewheel-22 and the movable-parts by which type wheel 22fis supported areshown-in their upper limit positions. In this position type wheel 22 engages the surface to be printed on, e. g, a paper'surface, when. the printing cylinder rests-on the, surface. and is rotated about its aforementionedgeometrical axis. In thisefiective. position of type wheel 22 all the parts; ofthe' device are in their respective position, shown. in Fig, 1 and are positively latched or locked therein by tab 28'=engaging slot 27 of latch 26. Latch 24 can bepresseddownwardly in clockwise direction againstthe bias-ofspring25l and positively held in its-lower position, as shown in Fig. 2, by engagement of the top surface thereof by tab 28 on frame 15. In the lower of the two. positions; of lever 19, shaft 21 and typewheel 22 theilatter ismoved so far into recess 14 as to precludeengagementby'it of thesurface of a sheet.

of.paperuponwhichprintingacylinder '1'1, .12, 13 may be rolled.

To move type wheel 22 from its effective position to its ineffective positions latch 24 is pivoted against the bias of spring 25, and lever 19 is depressed against the bias of spring 24 whereupon latch 24 is allowed to snap to the position shown in Fig. 2. To move type wheel 22 from its ineffective position latch 24 is again pivoted against the 'bias of spring 25, and lever 19 is allowed to rise under the action of spring 20, whereupon latch 24 is allowed to snap to the positions shown in Fig. 1.

It will be apparent from the foregoing that the frame structure 15 is adapted to be inserted into recess 14 from the outside of cylindrical surface 11, and that latch 24 for lever 19 is accessible from the outside of cylindrical surface 11. This makes it possible to manually latch lever 19 from the outside of cylindrical surface 11 selectively in one of its two limit positions.

It will be understood that although but one embodiment of this invention has been shown and described in detail, the invention is not limited thereto and that the illustrated embodiment may be modified or other embodiments made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as set forth in the accompanying claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A printing cylinder comprising in combination a cylinder body having a recess therein, a rotatable type wheel arranged in said recess, a shaft supporting said type wheel, means for lowering said type wheel and said shaft into said recess to move said type wheel to an ineffective position and for raising said type'wheel and said shaft to move said type wheel to an effective position,

said lowering and raising means including a supporting lever for said shaft arranged in said recess, fulcrum means for pivoting said supporting lever about an axis parallel to said shaft, and spring means for biasing said supporting lever out of said recess, said printing cylinder further comprising a frame structure arranged in said recess pivotally supporting said supporting lever and supported by said cylinder body, and latching means for latching said supporting lever selectively in said ineffective position and said efiective position of said type wheel.

2. A printing cylinder comprising in combination a cylinder body having a recess therein, type wheel means arranged in said recess, a shaft for supporting'said type wheel means, a substantially U-shaped lever having a pair of flanges supporting said shaft, said lever being arranged in said recess and supporting said shaft at points situated between the ends of said flanges thereof, a frame structure mounted on said cylinder body and pivotally supporting the outer ends of said flanges, and spring biased latch means pivotally supported by said lever and adapted to cooperate with said frame structure to positively maintain said lever selectively in one of two limit positions thereof.

3. A printing cylinder comprising in combination a cylinder body having a recess therein, type wheel means arranged in said recess, a shaft supporting said type wheel means, means for jointly lowering said type wheel means and said shaft into said recess to move said type wheel means to ineffective position and for jointly raising said type wheel means and said shaft to move said type wheel means to an effective position, said lowering and raising means including a supporting lever for said shaft arranged in said recess, fulcrum means for pivoting said supporting lever about an axis parallel to said shaft, and spring means biasing said supporting lever out of said recess; said printing cylinder further comprising a frame structure attached to the surface of said cylinder body pivotally supporting said supporting lever, said frame structure defining a first latch means, and a second latch means pivotally mounted on said supporting lever adapted to cooperate with said first latch means to selectively latch said supporting lever in said effective position and said ineffective position of said type wheel means.

A printing cylinder comprising in combination a cylinder body having a recess therein, a frame structure in substantial registry with said recess mounted on said cylinder body, a tab-like extension on said frame structure, a U-shaped lever comprising a web portion and a pair of flange portions pivotally supported by said frame structure, a rotatable shaft mounted on said flange portions of said lever, type wheel means mounted on said shaft, a first spring means biasing said lever in a direction out of said recess, a latch pivotally mounted on. said web portion of said lever, a slot in said latch adapted to be engaged by said tab-like extension, and a second spring means biasing said latch toward said tab-like extension.

5. A printing cylinder comprising in combination a cylinder body having a recess therein, a frame arranged in said recess, a substantially U-s'naped lever comprising a web portion and a pair of flange portions, pivot means for mounting said flange portions on said frame, spring means biasing said lever in a direction out of said recess, a shaft extending transversely across and mounted on said flange portions, a rotatable type wheel mounted on said shaft, 21 spring-biased latch pivotally mounted on said web portion, said latch comprising a first abutment means 1 adapted to cooperate with a portion of said frame to fixedly maintain said lever and said type wheel in a first predetermined position relative to said cylinder body, and said latch further comprising a second abutment means adapted to cooperate with a portion of said frame to fixedly maintain said lever and said type wheel in a second predetermined position relative to said cylinder body.

6. In combination a printing cylinder comprising a cylinder body having a recess in the cylindrical surface thereof, a frame structure adapted to be inserted into said recess from theoutside of said cylindrical surface, means for securing said frame structure to said cylinder body, a lever having a pair of parallel arms, pivot means extending at right angles to said pair of arms pivotally supporting said lever on said frame structure whereby said lever may be pivoted relative to said cylinder body-to either of two limit positions of said lever, spring means biasing said lever to one of said limit positions thereof, a shaft supported by said pair 'of arms of' said lever extending parallel to said pivot means, a rotatable type wheel mounted on said shaft, and latching means for said lever accessible from the outside of said cylindrical surface of said cylinder body adapted to latch said lever selectively in one of said two limit positions thereof to position said type wheel from said outside of said cylindrical surface selectively in an effective and in a non-effective printing position.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,423,325 Heberling July 18, 1922 2,179,269 Ogden Nov. 7, 1939 2,204,971 Rouan June 18, 1940 2,237,269 Brand Apr. 1, 1941 2,421,823 Allen June 10, 1947 2,687,692 Kubory Aug. 31, 1954 2,708,402 Knaur May 17, 1955 

